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jason

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Posts posted by jason

    Rescue Me Balloon

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    Jason,

    I don’t think the balloon for this Skyhook system is used for location. It’s used to lift up the attached lift line.

    I’m very familiar with Skyhook systems, but not for people extraction. I once worked for RCA Service Company (in the computer operations center of the missile tracking ship General H. H Arnold) . The ship was used to track test firings of intercontinental ballistic missiles as they re-entered the atmosphere, usually somewhere off the coast of Ascension Island. Skyhook was used to send data tapes back to Cape Canaveral for off-line data reduction and analysis. The collected data was mostly from the ship’s radar tracks and missile telemetry.

    From the ship we could see an Airforce C5A fly over the ship trailing a long line with a hook on the lower end. The hook was supposed to grab onto a wire attached to the databox sitting on the deck. A balloon held up the wire. When successful (sometimes it took multiple passes of the plane) the box would fly up with a tremendous acceleration (I assume that the current system used to extract people has more stretch in the line to reduce the acceleration).

    The ship’s crew (including me) were allowed to put personal mail in the box extracted by Skyhook. However, we were warned not to send anything valuable. That was because the box would self-destruct after some time if it fell into the water. I guess that’s because there was usually a soviet ship monitoring us from about a mile away.

    -Leon

    Leon,

    The sky hook used by the CIA and other Government originations was used to located pickup and hall people into planes. Without the balloon a person is much harder to find, thus it's a multi purpose item. Attempt to find someone in the waves is a difficult item even with lot/long coordinates.

    Rescue Me Balloon

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    I played around with balloons on my own for this kind of thing. I purchased some weather balloons and helium to inflate them (yes, had fun sounding like Mickey Mouse).

    They didn't work very well in winds above 10 knots - just got blown sideways and no amount of line payed out would get them more aloft. Maybe this one is different than my experiments, but I rapidly gave up after four or so attempts.

    I wonder if the CIA version works in the wind due to it being shaped more like a blimp than a weather balloon.

    paddle floats

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    Look if it's the ONLY tool in your box, take it. Be crazy not to do so.

    But we both know that a paddle float is a very weak defense. I think a better, stronger argument could be made for going paddling with someone else...someone with rescue skills, whatever. A person can actively help you, a paddle float not so much.

    I used to joke that Rick Crangle was the perfect expedition tool. Quiet, competent, crafty, trusted to not make the wrong decision...and we weren't super close so while I liked him...eh, if I lost him, there would be others. Like a leatherman. And I make it sound a little callous and joke a little but that's how I think about things....Who/What do I have at my disposal? I am sure others think the same way to some extent and I speak with all the respect and love to tricky Ricky Crangle. Believe me between a paddle float and a Crangle, take a Crangle every time.

    And as an "advanced" (What is that? An old crack? GD kids...stay off my lawn!) paddler I can't imagine what hare brain thing I might be doing ALONE, far offshore that I would need the immediate assistance of a paddle float...I am a coastal critter and almost always found in a group so for me I don't see the porpoise (yuk-yuk) of carrying a paddle float when I have people handy...I can do all the things and more with boats and people.

    In the meantime until the ACA adopts a more sensible paddle with a buddy philosophy I will gleefully and without reservation teach the paddle float rescue. You betcha...ohyah.

    My 2 cents and your mileage may vary.

    Rick is also shows up with some wonderful food. I don't see a paddle float making me a nice meal. :-)

    Breaking Strength of Tow Line?

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    Obviously when you’re towing someone the average force on the towline is probably less than 20 pounds. However, this doesn’t account for changes in momentum from quick jerks (perhaps due to wave action). If the towline is not stretchy enough a jerk can create a very large force on the towline. For a given jerk, the physics says that each towline (stretchy and stiff) must handle the same change in momentum. But the stretchy towline does it over a longer amount of time (during the longer stretch). Thus a stiff towline requires a larger tensile strength (the force required to break it) than a stretchy towline.

    Moreover, towlines are sometimes used for more than simple tows. For example, towlines are sometimes used for rock rescues where you pull someone up a cliff. For that reason I think towlines should have a large tensile strength. Here’s an example from the whitewater world (I couldn’t find a good video from the sea kayaking world but I know many exist).

    That said, I think towlines should probably have tensile strengths of over 200 pounds.

    -Leon

    White water lines get used for a lot more critical applications. They tend to be even thicker (easier on the hands). Lines in throw bags get put into use as emergency climbing gear and are (in the case of what I have) is much more stout than what I use on the ocean.

    My ocean tow belt has rope that's rated for 3000 pounds (less where it's tied). It's as big/strong as it is to make it not tangle and easier on the hands.

    Breaking Strength of Tow Line?

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    Just about every tow line we have has a much higher breaking strength than we need. The one I use has a spectra core. They could make it much smaller but it will tend to tangle and won't be very easy on the hands.

    One could make one out of the same line as we use as deck line to save space, Having it thicker makes it easier for one to work with and pull by hand when it has some tension.

    Choosing a spare paddle

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    I have standardized on a 215 Ikelos as my paddle and my spare. Moving from my normal to the spare won't change my paddling. If I was to break a paddle your only breaking a 1/2 of the paddle. Thus if you break your spare too, you might break the other half and still end up with a full working paddle. (Odds are 50/50 but murphy's law tells you it will be the same side broken on the two). In the future I am looking at picking up the 4 piece Ikelos to make traveling by air easier. Having a pair of 4 piece paddles will allow for even more flexibility/redundancy for longer trips.

    How to make a DYI tent footprint.

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    You could always try 3 mil plastic instead of 5 mil or do the tyvek without the grommets.

    The advantage of the factory footprints is that you can usually pitch the tent in a fly/footprint "lightweight mode", I have never seen anyone do this so it's obviously not much of an advantage.

    I think that one can do that out west where they don't have to deal with the bugs. The only time we don't have the bug's one would want the sides of the tent to keep the snow out.

    How to make a DYI tent footprint.

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    I have either purchased the factory made foot print or made them out of 5mil plastic. OK the plastic is heavier and it lacks the grommets but it's cheap, really cheap. I bought a big roll and I've made footprints for several of my tents.

    Growing up all of our teats had plastic ground cloths. We used to set the tent up in the basement on the plastic, slide the tent a 1/2" beyond 1 or 2 sides where it would fit, then trace the other sides with marker. We used to then cut the plastic a 1/2" inside of the lines, it wasn't fancy but it worked.

    Cockpit padding

    in Boat repair, outfitting

    Posted

    The "wear your kayak" concept is important in whitewater kayaking, where you must be able to maneuver your boat rapidly and precisely. You can endure a tight fit because you're not in the boat for long periods of time. In a touring boat, you need some room to move around, but you also need to be able to lock yourself in when necessary. With a properly outfitted boat, all you need to do is flex your ankles to lock your thighs under the coaming and brace yourself solidly in the cockpit. When you don't need solid control, such as when you're just cruising along, you can relax and shift around a little, which makes long days on the water much more comfortable.

    Even in white water, you want room, tight padding is a bit old school Rotation and edging is still very important, with a whitewater boat, too much padding will get in the way. Whitewater boats tend to have aggressive thigh braces that are normally out of the way when your upright but are great for when you need to roll. With white water the tightest part tends to be around one feet and that's just because of the lack of volume with the boat. The more playful the whitewater boat the less volume it will have on the ends.

    Trimming neck gasket

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    OK, here's today's possibly stupid question: In trimming neck gasket of dry suit, do you do it right on the line, a hair above, or a hair below...or does it matter as long as you do it neatly and carefully? Do people prefer sharp scissors or a razor?

    pru

    In the past Suz had trimmed a few for me using very sharp scissors. She had cut between the lines. I think that she said that the key is to leave the cut smooth without any nicks that can run.

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